I’m a soprano, and I live in Earley with my composer husband and two all but grown-up sons.  I was born in Berkshire; the eldest of five children.  My parents afforded me the privilege of piano and flute lessons but I did not have any formal singing lessons until I left home to study music at Bristol University.  I sang and played at my local state school and church, and joined the Berkshire Youth Choir aged 17, but, at that time, I was unaware of opportunities such as the National Youth Choir or Choral Eton Courses, and knew little of the choral music scene or Oxbridge college choirs.  By the time of my university final recital, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as a singer and went on to study for my postgraduate diploma at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, whilst Roger studied for an MMus in Composing for Film & TV, after which we married and moved to Reading.  I wanted to be at home with our sons in their formative years, and so I took on as much freelance work as was practical, as well as teaching from home and in school, whilst spending considerable time and energy on the family’s musical and sporting experience: one son is now a sound engineer and the other heading into the world of music; they are both accomplished musicians, which brings us much joy.

Over the years, I have performed with many prestigious ensembles, in the UK and abroad.  I have been a regular soprano in the choir of Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, Holborn, since 2006, as well as a regular at Temple Church, and I sing at many other London church choirs, chapels and cathedrals.  I enjoy the diversity of freelance work, including early repertoire with the choir of the Academy of Ancient Music, film session work and concerts with London Voices, and a staged Stockhausen opera – involving a camel and a helicopter!

I am thrilled to be a founder member of Vox Urbane, and excited by this new venture with lovely colleagues all at different stages of their careers.  I feel that it’s important for aspiring singers from all walks of life to reach for their dreams, and I hope that I can share the understanding that I have gained in doing so.